Independent study of Turkish. How to Learn Turkish: Tips for Beginners

Wanna learn Turkish language? We have compiled a selection useful resources for those who study or want to study this interesting language. Add to your favorites links for learning Turkish so as not to lose!

http://www.turkishclass.com/ is a free resource for learning Turkish online. Several groups are available for language learning, both beginner and intermediate levels. There is a forum where you can consult about the correct translation of phrases and expressions into Turkish. Additionally, you can work with vocabulary and pronunciation, as well as speak Turkish in a special mini-chat.
http://www.umich.edu/~turkish/langres_tr.html - an invaluable collection various ways learn turkish from the university of michigan: online lessons, teaching materials, exercises and tests, dictionaries and modern literary works. The resource also allows you to study in the form various games– from making up words to practicing counting skills.
https://sites.google.com/site/learningturkishsite/Home is a grammar learning resource that explains many different grammar rules, but the most valuable one is the app that can automatically conjugate verbs online.
http://www.turkishclass101.com/ - Learn Turkish at all levels through podcasts. Here you can find audio and video lessons (which can be discussed on the forum right there), detailed lesson notes in PDF format, as well as various tools for replenishing vocabulary. The developers have been released as mobile applications as well as computer software.
http://www.hakikatkitabevi.com/turkce/sesdinle.asp - Free Turkish audiobooks that you can listen to online or download to your computer in MP3 format.
http://ebookinndir.blogspot.com/ - resource containing a large number of free books in Turkish, which can be downloaded in PDF format. You can find various writers on the blog - from Dostoyevsky to Coelho and Meyer.
http://www.zaman.com.tr/haber is Turkey's main daily newspaper. The newspaper covers regional and world economic, sports, cultural and other news. Public and political figures also blog on her website. Some materials are also submitted in video format.
http://www.filmifullizle.com/ - a resource where you can download films in Turkish. By clicking on the link, you will find both the latest film distribution novelties and cinema classics.
http://filmpo.com/ - a resource that has collected both new and old films on English language with Turkish subtitles. Links to films will lead you to Youtube, where you can watch them online or download them in various quality.
is an online Turkish textbook from the University of Arizona. Its main feature is that almost all Turkish words in the lessons are recorded by native speakers and are available for listening.
http://www.tdk.gov.tr/ is a website of the Turkish Linguistic Society that provides users with a variety of dictionaries, including a dictionary of terms, proverbs and sayings, Turkish dialects, and even gestures. This site contains the latest scientific publications and other, very different, information for enthusiasts, for example, about foreign words in Turkish.
http://www.seslisozluk.net/?word=care&lang=tr-en - excellent Turkish dictionary with pronunciation. Translation is available from English (US/UK/Australia) to Turkish and vice versa. Works better than Google translate J

Turkey is a kind of bridge between the Middle East and Europe, so for many centuries its culture, traditions and language have attracted people from all over the world. In the era of globalization, distances between states are shrinking, peoples communicate with each other, maintain friendly relations, and establish business. Knowledge of the Turkish language will be useful for both tourists and entrepreneurs, managers, scientists. It will open doors to another world, introduce you to the culture and history of such a colorful and beautiful country.

Why learn Turkish?

Here, it would seem, why learn Turkish, Azerbaijani, Chinese or some other language, if you can master English and communicate with representatives of different nationalities only in it? Here everyone should set priorities for himself, understand what and why he is doing. It is impossible to learn a foreign language if there is no desire and motivation. Indeed, in order to go to Turkey once, basic English is also suitable, the Turks in the resort areas also understand Russian quite well. But if there is a goal to move to live in this country, establish business with its representatives, go to study abroad, build a career in a company cooperating with Turkish companies, then the prospects for learning the language seem very tempting.

Do not forget about self-development. Even Chekhov said: "How many languages you know, so many times you are a person." There is a lot of truth in this statement, because each country has its own culture, traditions, rules, worldview. By learning a language, a person trains his memory, slows down the aging of the brain, increasing its activity. In addition, it becomes possible to read literature, watch films in the original, and how nice it is to listen to your favorite singer or singer and understand what they are singing about. By studying the Turkish language, people replenish the vocabulary of their native language, remember the rules for writing words.

Where to start studying?

Many people have a logical question - where to start, what textbook, tutorial video or audio course to take? First of all, you need to set a specific goal. You can’t just want to know Turkish, you need to clearly define what it is for. Motivation and irresistible desire will do their job and help you cope with critical moments, overcome laziness, unwillingness to continue your studies. In addition, there must be love for the country, its culture and history. If the soul does not belong to it, then it will be more difficult to advance in learning the language many times over.

How to "immerse" in the Turkish language as quickly as possible?

You need to surround yourself with appropriate materials on all sides. Some experts advise going to Turkey to learn the language on the spot. It should be noted that without basic knowledge, even taking such a step is not worth it, since not every native Turk will be able to explain grammar, the rules for using certain words, etc. It is enough to learn the 500 most common phrases in order to speak. Turkish language for a tourist is not so difficult. You just need to choose the most common words, learn them, get acquainted with the grammar (boring, tedious, but nothing without it) and rehearse the pronunciation. Be sure to surround yourself with textbooks, dictionaries, films and art books in the original language.

Reading, listening, speaking

You can’t just write and read, because the chances of speaking in this case will be negligible. Studying grammar, translating texts, reading, writing - it's all good and you can't do without these exercises. But still, if the goal is to understand speech by ear and communicate with the Turks, then you need to learn the Turkish language a little differently. The study can be supplemented with audio and video courses. It is best to print out the text spoken by the announcer, write out unfamiliar words on a piece of paper, trying to remember them. Listening to the dialogue, you need to follow the printout with your eyes, listen to intonations, and capture the essence. Also, do not be shy to repeat words and whole sentences after the speaker. Let nothing work out at first, a terrible accent will appear. Do not be upset or shy, these are the first steps. Turkish for beginners is like mother tongue for toddlers. At first, only one babble is heard, but with practice, pronounce foreign words it gets easier and easier.

When and where should you practice?

You need to do small but frequent approaches. The Turkish language requires constant repetition, so it is better to improve it for 30 minutes daily than to sit for 5 hours once a week. Professional tutors do not recommend taking breaks for more than 5 days. There are days when it is not possible to carve out a free minute, but still you should not give up and let everything take its course. While stuck in a traffic jam on your way home, you can listen to several dialogues from an audio course or songs in the original language. You can also set aside 5-10 minutes to read one or two pages of text. Thus, new information will come in and the already passed will be repeated. As for where to practice, there are no restrictions. Of course, translating, writing, learning grammar is best at home, but you can read, listen to songs and audio courses anywhere: walking in the park, relaxing in nature, in your car or public transport. The main thing is that learning is fun.

Is it difficult to learn Turkish?

Is it easy to learn a language from scratch? Of course, it is difficult, because these are unfamiliar words, sounds, construction of sentences, its carriers have a different mentality, worldview. You can learn a set of phrases, but here's how to use them, what to say in a given situation, in order to express yourself in an accessible way and not accidentally offend the interlocutor? In parallel with the study of grammar and words, you need to get acquainted with the history of the country, its culture, traditions, and customs. For rare tourist trips, it is not so important at what level the Turkish language is. Translation of individual texts, books can be carried out only with good knowledge Turkey, its history, laws. Otherwise, it will be superficial. You only need to know 500 frequently used words to be able to speak tolerably, but you don't have to stop there. We need to move on, comprehend new horizons, discover unfamiliar sides of Turkey.

Is it necessary to communicate with native speakers?

Communication with the Turks will be useful if you already have basic knowledge. A native speaker gives good practice, because he can tell you how to pronounce this or that word correctly, which sentence is more appropriate in specific situation. In addition, live communication allows you to replenish vocabulary. Therefore, it is worth going to Turkey to improve your Turkish language. Words are so easier and faster to remember, understanding appears correct construction offers.

Turkish is one of the most beautiful languages in the world!

At the first meeting, it may seem to many that the dialect of the Turks is too harsh, rude. Indeed, there are many growling and hissing sounds in it, but they are also diluted with gentle words, similar to the chime of bells. It is worth visiting Turkey just once to fall in love with it once and for all. The Turkish language belongs to the group of Turkic languages spoken by more than 100 million people, so it provides the key to understanding Azerbaijanis, Kazakhs, Bulgarians, Tatars, Uzbeks, Moldovans and other peoples.

Hello everyone, glad to see you on my channel.

Today I will tell you about how I learned Turkish, and I will give a few practical advice about how to learn it faster and not forget it.

I started learning Turkish when I met my husband. I went to courses and chose them based on the teaching program in Moscow. I really liked the courses http://www.de-fa.ru, they seduced me by the fact that they were taught according to Tömer ‘Tomer’ textbooks (there were textbooks Hitit I, II; an audio course was also given). Teaching was divided into 3 levels. First level for beginners (Hitit I, II). I passed Hitit I, but Hitit II, unfortunately, did not pass, because summer came, our group was disbanded and another one was recruited. In addition, I have already left for Turkey to get married. But I study Turkish all the time and I can say that a foreign language is such a thing that goes away if you do not study it, so you should always practice.

What else can I recommend from Turkish textbooks? P. I. Kuznetsov’s manual “Turkish Language Textbook”, this edition consists of two parts, it even comes with an audio course. It has a lot of useful exercises, texts. The only thing I can note is that the textbook was probably compiled in Soviet time, and it contains a lot of such vocabulary as “comrade”, and everything that follows from it. Therefore, from the point of view of the interest of the texts and their lexical composition, the manual is a bit outdated.

Also, when I went to the courses, I immediately got myself a “Big Turkish-Russian and Russian-Turkish Dictionary”. Let me explain why I bought a two-in-one dictionary: I was already planning to move and, accordingly, I absolutely did not want to carry two such dictionaries. But teachers and those who study languages recommend buying two separate dictionaries, because in a publication like mine, of course, a truncated version.

Right now in life situations Google Translate helps a lot. Naturally, he will not translate the whole sentence, but he will be able to translate some words, for example, while going to the store.

Another piece of advice on how to memorize grammar in general is easier, to systematize knowledge, is to start a notebook. I got one and write down all the grammar rules that I study in it. Why is it convenient? For example, you forgot a topic. You do not need to look for where the textbook is and run to reread the entire chapter in it; you have records of examples, rules; you repeated them, remembered - and everything is fine.

It is also very important to learn words. I took a notebook, divided the sheets in it with a vertical line in half. In the left column she wrote down words and even phrases in Turkish, in the right - their translation into Russian. All this can be read in the subway while you are going to work. Of course, looking for something in such records is not very convenient, because this is not a dictionary compiled in alphabetical order, but it is quite suitable for reading in transport.

Concerning how in general it is better to learn words. I discovered this thing for myself: I remember them best when I first write them down, then I pronounce them, and then I write down the translation. For example, I write the word bilmek, pronounce it and write the translation - to know. At the same time, my visual memory works, auditory and mechanical - I remember how a word is spelled, and sometimes it helped me a lot. Friends, this is really good technique and I can recommend it to you.

Those who have been to Turkey probably know that in almost all major hotels and outlets there is English or Russian speaking staff. Therefore, during the rest and buying souvenirs, there should not be any discomfort. However, the tourist must have in his vocabulary at least minimum set Turkish expressions.

Why does a tourist need to know Turkish?

If you want not only to sunbathe and swim in the warm sea, but also to get to know the culture and peculiarities of the country, you certainly need to know the Turkish language at least to a minimum extent. Basics for a tourist includes not so much information that will allow you to chat with local population.

Another factor that speaks in favor of the need to take a Turkish language course is that unforeseen situations may arise during the trip. Faced with the staff of hospitals, police or other services, you are unlikely to meet a person who is sufficiently fluent in English, and even more so in Russian.

Features of the Turkish language

First you need to figure out what Aze is for a tourist, it may seem quite complicated, but this is only at first glance. The thing is that in terms of grammar it is very different from Russian. Also, pronunciation can cause some difficulties. So, one can distinguish the following features Turkish language, which will be useful to the tourist:

in 90% of cases, the stress falls on the last syllable;
most of the concepts associated with scientific and technological progress are borrowed, therefore they do not cause difficulties in understanding;
Turkish speech is filled with many set expressions, which are associated with traditions of politeness, superstition and religion;
no matter how long the sentence is, the predicate is always put at the end;
Turks often break the rules of syntax when it comes to emotional speech or poetry;
despite the fact that the alphabet is based on the Latin alphabet, some letters can cause difficulties for the tourist. Here are some of them:

How to learn Turkish?

Of course, it is simply impossible to learn Turkish in a short time. The basics for a tourist include a minimum set of rules and words that will allow him to at least superficially communicate with the local population. In this case, you can go in several ways:

take a Turkish language course at a language center or school (this is one of best options giving the fastest results)
hire a tutor or take lessons via Skype;
study with the help of a self-instruction manual, as well as materials posted on the Internet.

Whatever method you choose, it is important to proceed from the purpose for which you are learning Turkish. The basics for a tourist should include elementary basics that will allow you to speak politely and competently in the most common life situations.

How to understand Turkish by ear?

Communication involves not only speech, but also auditory perception. It is not so easy to understand any foreign language, and even more so Turkish. To learn how to parse fluent speech, theoretical knowledge alone is not enough. You need to use additional tricks:

Listen to songs in Turkish. And do not just listen, but try to recognize and translate individual words and sentences. If the task turned out to be too much for you, find the lyrics of the song on the Internet and read it while listening to the song.
Watch Turkish films. Thanks to them, you will not only learn to perceive speech by ear, but also get acquainted with its main intonations. Ideally, you should use the video without translation (in last resort- With subtitles).

Sign language

One of the most mysterious countries is Turkey. it is very important for tourists to know so as not to get into an awkward or even conflict situation. Here are the highlights:

A thumbs up signifies approval. But it's better for girls not to use it, and even more so - not to catch a car in this way. Such a gesture can be misinterpreted by hot Turkish men.
Do not use if you wish good luck. The Turk might think that you don't want to continue the conversation.
A clenched fist with an outstretched little finger symbolizes resentment towards a person.
If the Turk pulls the lower eyelid with his finger, this means that he noticed the deception. This is a kind of distrust.
Never use the "OK" gesture. In Turkey, it is associated with homosexuality.
"Dulya", which in our country is considered a fairly harmless gesture, in Turkey is equated to a raised middle finger.
Nodding your head means denial.

Sign language is quite insidious, so if you don't know their meaning thoroughly, it's best to be as discreet as possible.

Some common phrases

Going on a trip, many take a Russian-Turkish phrasebook with them. For a tourist, this is an important acquisition, but you also need to learn the most popular phrases in Turkish:

This, of course, is not all the words necessary for a tourist. Start small, and the Turkish language will definitely give in to you!

But if a person has other priorities, if he wants to communicate with those who interest him, then no one will wait for someone to learn Russian in order to allow him to communicate with him.

This is where motivation comes in, the main engine of successful learning. Those who are going to Turkey to work, for permanent residence, or simply to cooperate with one of the Turkish firms, do not need to be convinced. They themselves want. And this is one of the strongest motivations.

No less important is motivation - self-development. Chekhov's expression that a person is as many times a person as he knows languages reveals its meaning very well. Convincing, isn't it? Each language represents a country with its traditions, worldview, culture and rules. Realizing and studying this, a person touches the past of another country, making his present spiritually richer and brighter.

Importantly, a person learning another language trains memory, increases brain activity, slows down its aging, and increases intelligence. But where to start learning Turkish for someone who cannot different reasons study it with a tutor or in courses? The tips below will help you get started.

The sooner the better. Many of those who are going on a trip/work/permanent residence to Turkey think that they will be able to learn the language on the spot. This is a profound delusion: none of the locals will explain the rules of grammar, teach how to use words and many other subtleties of the language.

Therefore, it is best to start learning the language at home, before the trip. In 2-4 months, you can learn about half a thousand phrases, which are the most common. So it’s best not to waste time now, because later the language will still need to be learned and no one knows what circumstances a person who does not understand at all what his interlocutors are talking about can get into.

As the Turks themselves say - fill your ears. But you can not only ears, but also eyes, memory, consciousness. This means that you need to surround yourself to the maximum with the Turkish language. Books, audio and video recordings, movies, songs are the best things to watch/listen to in Turkish. At first, of course, only films with subtitles, songs of your favorite singers are desirable. But as some words, phrases are already clear, you can add audio recordings.

Reading, listening, communication are the three main components of the successful study of not only Turkish, but also any other foreign language. One letter and reading is not enough. It is necessary to speak this language. The best way is to find a native Turkish speaker on the Internet and start communicating with him.

Experts also recommend doing the following: print the text of any audio recording you like and, when playing it, pronounce the text along with the announcer. At the same time, you need to follow what is written in the printout, with what intonation the announcer pronounces each word. Then, after several listenings, you can already pronounce the text with the announcer. This is how pronunciation is developed, and words / phrases are better remembered, since visual and auditory memory is involved.

Translation. Strange as it may sound, even a beginner can do translation. You just need to choose the book (story, fairy tale) that you like. Then the translation will go easier and be interesting than the text that you don’t like. Of course, it is not worth translating the whole book at once - this will not work right away, and it will be burdensome. But for 15 minutes every day, but only - every day, you definitely need to do it.

No one can explain this phenomenon, but when translating words are remembered best. And this technique will help to understand how much you managed to learn the language. To do this, you need to translate the translated text back into the original language (you should not peek into it) and then compare both texts. Of course, at first it’s not worth waiting for the texts to coincide, but as you learn the language, there will be less and less discrepancies.